Music sheet or paper for mechanically-operated musical instruments.



llhl STATES l "IHQll/iAS W. SMILLIE, 9F W ASHlNGTUN, DlSTlitlUiCQLUMBlA. MUSIQ SHEET 0R PAPER FOR illECHANICALLYGPERATEO lslUSlC/ll.lNSTRUlilENTS.

no sense,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented July 81, 1908.

Application filed Januar \2'7, 1904. Serial No. 190,882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, THoMAs W. SMILLIE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Wash- 'tion with self-pla ingmusical instruments respond more or ess freely to atmospheric changesand expand and contract in width under the influences of moisture andheat or extreme dryness, which expansion and contraction is sometimesfatal to a proper rendition of the musical composition represented bythe note-perforations in the. sheet. In use these musicsheets are woundupon removable wooden spools having fixed end flanges, the distancebetween the flanges being about equal to the width of the musicsheets,and the sheets are wound from these spools onto another spool or rollknown as the take-up, the latter forming a part of the musicalinstrument, and in passing from one spool to the other the music-sheetpasses over a tracker or other note-selecting device which cooperateswith the perfora tions to actuate the sound-producing mechanism. It willbe obvious, therefore, if the music-sheet expands in width toanyconsiderable extent, the opposite longitudinal edges thereof will bebrought to bear too much upon the end flanges of the spool, which will.tend to bend, crumple, and tear said edges, and as it is absolutelynecessary that the music-sheets shall be accurately and evenlyguidedover the tracker or other note-selecting device in order to secure aproper register of the note-perforations vnth the tracker-ducts orequivalent elements this crumpling or tearing of the edges of the sheetswill render such guiding and register uncertain and unreliable, and willinterfere with the proper rendition of the musical composition. This isdue to the fact that the sheets are thus made considerably narrower inwidth than the spools on which they are wound and rewound, and hencethey will not wind evenly.

Heretofore and prior to my'invention it has been proposed to overcomethe above objections by making the spool-flan es laterally adjustable,and also by ma ring 'the spools themselves of paper, so that they wouldexpand and contract alike with the music-sheets; but these devices arenot entirely satisfactory and have never gone into general use, and,besides, they are not directed to the seat of difliculty or trouble.

it is the purpose of my present invention to overcome thebefore-mentioned objections by treating the music sheet or paper itself,either before or after the same has been perforated, with a compositionthat will render the paper impervious to atmospheric influences, so thatwhen the sheet is once correctly perforated and fitted to the spools itwill remain so permanently, resisting all atmospheric changes. Thiscomposition consists of the following ingredients combined in or aboutthe proportions mentioned: gasolene, naphtha," benzin, or other similarsol vents, about one quart; paraffin, wax, or other substance of thesame nature, one ounce; raw linseed oil or other suitable blandnon-drying oleaginous agent, threefourth ounce.

The proportions of the above constituents may, of course, be varied tosuit the varying weight or sizing of the paper, but it must beunderstood that they are not to be varied to such an extent as todestroy the softness and flexibility of the paper, which is a necessaryelement in perforated music-sheets.

The composition, which is in liquid form, is placed in a suitable pan ortray and the music-sheet passed or drawn therethrough, so that bothsides thereof will be treated, and the sheet is then dried eithernaturally or artificially. 'lhe gasolene, benzin, or like solvent isemployed'as a vehicle to carry the other ingredients into the paper. Theparaffin or other wax acts as the moisture-repelling medium and preventsthe sheet from being afiected b T atmospheric changes, and the rawlinsee or other bland ncn-dr 'ng oleaginous agent keeps the sheet softand pliable. lt is recognized here that raw linseed oil is not ofitself, strictly speaking, a nondrying oil, but when combined withparafiin or like waxy substance and not mixedwith any of the oxids oflead it becomes for all the practical purposes of this invention anon-drying oil. 4

Music-sheets treated in the above manner Will not only be impervious toatmospheric influences, but the eomposrtlon will prevent the wesring ofthe sheet by friction and not tracker.

7 present method of treating the same.

somewhat as e lubricant, thus allowing the same to glide smoothly andfreely over the the sheets when out are sometimes ragged at the edgesand around the perforations, and

these ragged edges gradually weer sway during the passage of the sheetover the tracker, allowing the loosened fibers to be drawn into thetrecker-ducts, as" above set forth. By treating e perforated sheet withthe composition herein set forth these rag ed edges Jill he sostrengthened that the fibers will not readily weer sway.

The music-sheets may be treated iiinprove'd composition either before orafter the perforstin operation; but I prefer to treetthe comp etedsheet, for in this manner the ragged ed es will be strengthened, asbefore mentionel.

I heve found from ex eriment that erforated music-paper sires yused inthe library and expendedby moisture When treated ec- With my semescording to my inventionwiil subside to its ori 'inal size and rollperfectly.

v lsving thus described my'invention, what 1 I. claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Petters Petent, is-

, 1. As a new erticie of menufecture, e sheet of music-paper for. use ineutometicelljwopereted pleyers, consisting of s strip of thin flexiblepaper treated with a non-drying composition embodying peretfin ore likesub.- stance and a blend oil, the ingredients named being incorporetedin the sheet in such pro portions as to render the same soft endpliableand non-responsive 'to atmospheric changes. v

2. As s new article fiffllaflufififiiuflfl, spew, foreted music-sheetfor use. in entorpetiesily operated playing devises, consisting of a,strip of thin flexible. panes composition comprising. e, vole.til evehicle having incorporated .t erein'net wszzy sub.- stence end itnon-dryingolesgifl9llfl agent, the ingredients, named beingincol'pqlfeted in the sheet in eboutthe' pronortionststeted so as torender the, sheet soft endp, hleend non-responsive as to expansion andhemmetion to etmospheric'chen 'es.

In testimony whereof i have, heteunto, set

J. GRANVILLE M YERS, J11, GEETRUDE M. SE-UOKER.

I treated with s my hand in presence of two snbsGrihing Wis

